LP Journal

In September, a new public campaign will encourage the victims of human trafficking to break the chains of their slavery. The ALERT Outreach Program features billboards, ads and posters aimed at labor trafficking victims forced to work by “coyotes,” or smugglers. Media materials will be distributed throughout the Valley through newspapers, kiosks, public areas, clinics, […]

For PBS, The War was hell. Last month, the Public Broadcasting Service management found itself in a skirmish with Latino advocacy groups over a WWII documentary series by filmmaker Ken Burns that totally left out Hispanic soldiers. However, now The War – the 14 ½ hour series set to air on PBS beginning Sept. 23 […]

Hispanic foods continue to be a major driver in the economy, as attendees to the Expo Comida Latina Texas in Houston learned last month. A.C. Nielsen statistics show that sales of Hispanic foods have accumulated $3.2 billion in sales the last four years, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier. Tortillas and Mexican salsas and […]

Latino neighborhoods across the Valley will be getting beautification boosts from a new program sponsored by auto dealers, and you and your family can help. Barrios Bellos, a program created by the Valley Toyota Dealers Association, is designed to revitalize Hispanic areas in the Valley. The first barrio to get spruced up is Nuestro Barrio, between […]

The Valley of the Sun was a red carpet for a parade of visiting Latino glitterati recently. Antonio Villaraigosa, the charismatic L.A. mayor, was in town at almost the same time as Bill Richardson, the New Mexico governor trying to get to the White House before him. Villaraigosa was the attraction at a non-partisan political […]

Father-daughter teams are starting to be trendy in state Latino/Latina politics. There’s state Rep. Pete Rios and his fellow Legislator daughter, Sen. Rebecca Rios. There’s Arizona Congressman Ed Pastor and his hija Laura, who is a candidate for the Phoenix City Council. And there’s former Pima County Supervisor Dan Eckstrom and his daughter Jennifer. Dan […]

The Arizona Latino Research Enterprise group has teamed up with state legislators to eliminate eighth-grade certificates in state schools. Students moving from the eighth grade to higher school grades may mistake the certificates for “diplomas,” and drop out of school, goes the reasoning from ALRE leaders. In addition, education typically ends for students in other […]

University of Arizona journalism students have formed a campus chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Only four other universities have student chapters. NAHJ was founded in 1984 with the mission of increasing the ranks of Hispanics in the news business. The Latino students say they formed the chapter to give Hispanics a voice […]

Some immigration foes attribute rises in crime rates to the influx of undocumented workers. Now one study offers statistics to refute hearsay. Immigrants – legal or undocumented – don’t raise crime rates, and incarceration rates among younger men is lowest for immigrants. These findings come from a report from the Immigration Policy Center, an immigrant-advocacy group […]

Valley Leadership honored its 2006 Man and Woman of the Year at a luncheon March 28 at the Arizona Biltmore. Luz Sarmina, president and CEO of Valle del Sol, and Bill Post, chairman of the board of Arizona Public Service, will be lauded for their respective leadership roles. In her role at Valle, Sarmina has […]